Pokemon SoulSilver Version Walkthrough & Strategy Guide

This section of the guide will be most useful for gamers who don't need help getting around Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver (using our thorough walkthrough), but instead need some quick tips on fighting the game's many Gym Leaders, and other boss-level trainers (such as the Elite Four). Gym Leaders are the most difficult trainers you'll face in the game, but if you approach most of them with certain specified Pokemon types, you'll be as right as rain in taking them on.

There are a couple of things to consider before using the links above to get to the Johto-based trainers and the Kanto-based trainers (whichever you prefer). The first is the level of your Pokemon. We give you the tips you need to bring to battle the best kinds of Pokemon to combat any trainer discussed. But as far as level is concerned, your entire party should be of the same level (or higher) of the enemy trainer's highest-leveled Pokemon. So for instance, if the trainer you're going to fight has a level forty-two Pokemon, two level forty-three Pokemon, and a level forty-five Pokemon, make sure the Pokemon you're bringing to battle are all level forty-five. While this isn't always a necessity, it will make your life much, much easier, and will basically guarantee that you'll survive the fray.

On the same token, don't be lulled into a false sense of security by bringing the wrong kinds of Pokemon to battle, even if those Pokemon have the necessary attack-types to cause massive damage to the enemy party. In other words, if your enemy is fighting with Electric-type Pokemon, don't just bring any Pokemon with you that happens to have Ground-based attacks. Look at your own Pokemon party's weaknesses. If you are bringing a Flying-type Pokemon to this battle that has a Ground-type attack, for instance, it doesn't matter. Your enemy's Electric-type Pokemon will filet your Flying-type Pokemon before you can even get an attack off. You have to look at things both offensively and defensively.

A final word of warning is that just because a Pokemon is strong or weak against something, doesn't mean that you still can't use those attacks. They will do lesser damage, but sometimes, attack power means more than attack type. In this same mode of thinking, keep in mind that a majority of types are actually neutral when compared to other types. So yes, an Electric-type Pokemon will be most easily felled by using Ground-type attacks. And using Flying or Electric-type attacks will actually lessen those attacks' strength output. But neutral, normal attacks can be used on Electric-type Pokemon from every other type (of which there are thirteen). In other words, sometimes brute force is just as good as exploiting a weakness, especially if you simply don't have the tools necessary to do the most amount of damage.